The State Journal-Register issued a questionnaire to each of the six candidates running in the race for the 13th Congressional District seat. Here are their answers, as they were emailed to the newspaper.

ANN CALLIS (Democrat)

Date of birth: Aug 28, 1964

Current hometown: Edwardsville, IL

Education: BS and JD from St. Louis University

Family: Married to James Holloran. Children: Caroline (21) is in her senior year at St. Louis University and studying to be a teacher. She just started her first student teaching job at Collinsville Middle School this winter. Elliot (24) was just deployed to Kuwait and is an Army Ranger. He is a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army, and enlisted after graduating from Cornell University.

Job: former Chief Judge, Illinois' Third Judicial Circuit.

Other experience: Been a judge for 18 years

Community service: Volunteered for, supported, and involved in many community service groups in Madison County. Was President of the Lewis and Clark Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

1. Why are you the best person, of the candidates, to represent the people of the 13th?

As a mother and judge for 18 years I have a proven record of bringing people together and getting things done. From my work to create our state's first veterans court, which helps troubled veterans get back on their feet, to bringing the banks to the table to create a mandatory foreclosure mediation program that has saved over 130 middle-class families from losing their homes, I've always looked out for our communities. In Congress, I put the needs of seniors, veterans, and the middle class ahead of the tired political fights going on in Washington.

2. What would you do to help improve the economy?

As I travel around our district, I hear time and again that jobs are the most important issue. Although I sense a lot of anger, I also feel a growing sense of hope for things to get better. I truly believe we can grow jobs here in our district. We can start by building stronger relationships with our universities and expand on the wonderful research that is being done there. We should be linking the universities, local businesses, and our local labor force to expand on apprenticeship programs so that our young people graduate these programs with highly technological skills and are ready to work in the jobs of the 21st Century. I also will support current efforts to rebuild blighted neighborhoods, by creating construction jobs and giving people the opportunity to become first time homeowners. Overall, we need investments in our infrastructure with strong PLAs and prevailing wage jobs-because we know that investing in our community not only bodes well for jobs right now, but allows us to succeed in the future.

3. What do you want to see happen with health care policy?

I know middle-class families want healthcare solutions that lower cost and expand care, not more partisan politics. I want to find reforms that fix and improve the Affordable Care Act. We can't just shutdown our government and cost our economy billions of dollars because we disagree with a law. I'll work to ensure we cover pre-existing conditions, women are not discriminated against, and we keep the cost of prescription drugs low.

4. Do you favor immigration reform or the so-called Dream Act, and please specify any actions you think should be taken.

I support a fair, but tough, approach to immigration reform, like the bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform package that was passed in the Senate. I will support the DREAM Act, because children who are brought to this country at no fault of their own deserve to live the American dream and become productive citizens of our great country.

5. What should the United States do to meet its energy needs?

This is a critical issue and I believe our district can be a nationwide leader on energy. Our region is in a prime spot to lead the world in the production of plant-based bio-fuels. We should be harnessing the research being done on our campuses and put that to use to create jobs and meet our energy needs. Our district can also be a leader in manufacturing the components to wind, solar and other alternative energy products.

6. What changes would you advocate to keep Social Security solvent?

I will oppose any efforts to cut the promised benefits that seniors have earned over a lifetime of hard work. I support measures that crack down on fraud, waste and abuse to find efficiencies that wills save money for this important program.

7. Should any laws be changed concerning abortion?

I am pro-choice and believe that women deserve to be in full control of their personal healthcare decisions.

8. Do you think any changes need to be made with U.S. military services or intelligence agencies?

This is an issue that hits very close to home with me, as my son is an Army Ranger and was just deployed a few weeks ago. I believe in diplomacy and also know how important it is for us to be able to protect ourselves and our allies for attacks. Similarly, we need to make sure we are taking care of our military members when they come back from combat. That's why I started the first veteran's court in our state, because I saw these veterans needed help and support. Talking to local veterans recently, I see a need for more local clinics in our district and to renew the expired tax credit for businesses to hire veterans. I will continue my work on behalf of veterans in Congress and work to expand services and benefits for the men and women who so bravely serve our nation.

9. What issue do you want to stress or highlight as you campaign for this office?

It is clear from Congress' recent inaction on raising the minimum wage that they are out of touch with what is happening in our neighborhoods. Congressman Davis voted against raising the minimum wage last year and called extending benefits to the long-term unemployed a distraction. Those are not the priorities of families in Illinois' 13th District. Raising our minimum wage would instantly bring millions of Americans out of poverty and help many people in struggling between choosing food or rent. We know that women today account for six in ten minimum wage earners in Illinois, and raising our minimum wage to $10.10 an hour would give over 634,000 women a raise. I have been vocal in my support of raising the minimum wage and extended long-term unemployment benefits, and will continue to talk about those important issues with voters in this district.

1.Why are you the best person, of the candidates, to represent the people of the 13th?

I have the experience, temperament, and desire to represent the citizens of this district. I'm grateful for the confidence the voters showed in me during the 2012 election and I've been honored to serve as their Representative for over a year.

I came into this job with a background as a staff person and someone who had worked on local issues and with community leaders in our area for many years. I knew a great deal of what being a Member of Congress was about and that knowledge has served me well representing our area on Capitol Hill. The past year, though, has continued to expand my knowledge of what it means to represent our citizens.

I promised to go to Washington and advocate for the issues of concern to those in Central and Soutwestern Illinois. That is the reason I sought seats on both the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Agriculture Committee. I'm proud to say that I'm the only Member of the U.S. House who has served on two conference committees in this Congress. I believe that speaks to my ability to sit down with people of all political stripes to work out agreements for the good of our country. In the spirit of the 50-50 district I represent, I have shown a willingness to work across the aisle to get things done.

I believe that my background before being elected and the knowledge I've gained since becoming a Member is something which greatly benefits the people I serve.

2. What would you do to help improve the economy?

Doing whatever we can to create a robust economy and add jobs is something that needs to be at the top of the agenda for all elected officials.

We need to concentrate on policies which foster the development of good paying jobs; of ways we can get people off the unemployment rolls and back working; and creating a regulatory environment that fosters growth and innovation.

One of the reasons I sought a seat on the Transportation Committee was to help with crafting the next highway reauthorization. There is no better bill which could have a profound impact on our economy then a robust highway bill providing good-paying jobs and revitalizing our infrastructure. I look forward to continued work on this bill.

I have heard directly from business owners that they do not have enough skilled workers to fill positions, that is why I have advocated reforming the Workforce Investment Act to allow those who receive unemployment benefits to use their own resources to go back to school without being penalized. This will allow folks to learn a new skill and get back in the workforce quicker.

I have fought against onerous federal regulations which only serve to stifle job growth. I have co-sponsored the REINS Act which states Congress would need to approve any federal regulation which has an annual economic impact of $100 million or more and I fought for sensible regulatory reform in the Farm Bill to help with the agriculture economy.

3. What do you want to see happen with health care policy?

From the first-day of seeking this office I have made the repeal and replacement of Obamacare one of my top priorities. From the waivers granted to the botched roll-out to those who have lost private insurance due to this law, it has been a disaster for the American people. Are there some items from this law which should stay under a replacement plan? Of course. Things such as covering pre-existing conditions and allowing children to stay on a parent's plan until 26 are good, practical reforms, but overwhelmingly this law is flawed.

We should foster competition by allowing insurance to be purchased across state lines and enabling small businesses to pool together to increase buying power. We need to reform our medical malpractice laws to get away from the need for doctors to practice costly defensive medicine due to their worry over lawsuits. Health Savings Accounts should be expanded so individuals can use more dollars for health care expenses.

I'm very worried about the negative impact this law will have on our nation and I will continue my efforts to do all I can to change it.

4. Do you favor immigration reform or the so-called Dream Act, and please specify any actions you think should be taken.

I believe our immigration system is broken and in need of repair. If we do nothing, we are giving de facto amnesty to the 11 million people living illegally in the United States.

We must ensure that our borders are secure. Increasing and improving our security measures along our borders will not only help prevent more people from entering the country illegally, it will also help prevent drug trafficking and violent crimes along our border.

I also believe we have failed to enforce the current laws we have regarding citizenship. We need to reform our system so those who want to come here the right way can do so in a respectable and fair process.

5. What should the United States do to meet its energy needs?

I support an approach which would encompass many avenues to meet our energy needs; an "all-of-the-above" approach.

I have shown my commitment to renewable energy through my support of fuels such as ethanol and bio-diesel. Other renewables such as wind, hydro and solar should also be a part of addressing our energy needs.

But we cannot turn our back on abundant sources of energy we have right here in Illinois. Coal provides not only affordable electricity to power our communities and economy, it provides thousands of good paying jobs to Illinoisans. I'm very concerned about this Administration's War on Coal and the impact new regulations will have on providing affordable energy and good jobs.

The Keystone XL pipeline is another example of politics trumping solid investment in energy. Our country would benefit from building this pipeline and the President should let it happen.

We should also continue to use and develop technology to harness our abundant resources such as natural gas.

6. What changes would you advocate to keep Social Security solvent?

We have made a promise to our seniors that these social safety net programs will be there for them to assist with their health care, and retirement needs.

We must honor that promise but at the same time, we must look at an approach which assures all these programs will work for future generations.

Any solution to the insolvency issues of programs like Social Security and Medicare must be done in a bipartisan way which puts aside the demagoguery which takes place all too often when discussing these.

7. Should any laws be changed concerning abortion?

I am staunchly pro-life and am proud to have a 100% rating from the National Right to Life Committee.

8. Do you think any changes need to be made with U.S. military services or intelligence agencies?

We have the finest military in the world and I'm grateful to the the men and women who sacrifice the lives to ensure the freedom of our country.

I have been vocal in my concern over the NSA's current authority. I share the concern of many Americans about the privacy of our conversations and I'm working hard to ensure we understand the nature and extent of the intrusion as well as to prevent it from happening again in the future.

9. What issue do you want to stress or highlight as you campaign for this office?

My family is why I ran for Congress. I want my children to live as adults in a country that is better than it is today. One that is fiscally sound and exemplifies all that is great about America.

To get to a place where our country is better tomorrow than it is today, we must cut federal spending and live within the means of our current annual federal revenue. I do not support raising taxes to achieve a balanced budget.

We must enact policies which encourage private job creation to stimulate the economy. A robust economy, in combination with a restrained federal budget will put us on the path to balancing our books and starting to pay down our national debt.

I'm lucky to have been raised in a small-business family by parents who relayed the value of hard work and education.

My family means everything to me, and I hope my service in Congress represents the best that my family has taught me and what they mean to me every day.